Imphal: The Manipur government has given orders to the Assam Rifles to “push back” 718 Myanmar nationals, including 301 children, who reportedly entered the state on July 22 and 23 due to the ongoing unrest in Myanmar. The state government has also demanded a report from the Assam Rifles, seeking clarification on how and why the nationals were allowed to enter India without proper travel documents.
Manipur Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi took action on Monday, asking the Assam Rifles to immediately push back the illegal immigrants and inquire into the circumstances that led to their entry without valid documents. On July 23, the 28 Sector Assam Rifles informed the deputy commissioner of Manipur’s Chandel district about a “fresh illegal influx” of Myanmar nationals along the Indo-Myanmar border in the region. The 718 individuals arrived at six locations in Chandel due to ongoing clashes in Khampat, western Myanmar.
Among the group of Myanmar nationals, 301 are children, 208 are women, and 209 are men. Assam Rifles requested that the deputy commissioner participate in a “joint verification” process to ascertain the status of the immigrants.
In response to the situation, the Manipur home department has demanded a detailed report from the Assam Rifles to understand the circumstances that led to the entry of the Myanmar nationals without proper travel documents. The home department expressed concern over the influx and stated that the state government had previously instructed the Assam Rifles to take strict action to prevent the entry of Myanmar nationals into Manipur without valid visas or travel documents, following the guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
The state government views the influx of Myanmar nationals very seriously, considering the potential “international ramifications,” especially in light of the ongoing law and order issues. Large-scale claims of “illegal immigration” from Myanmar have been a common concern among the Meitei community during their clashes with the Kuki-Zomi community in Manipur, which shares an ethnic bond with the Chin people of Myanmar.
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